The Righteous Life and Blessed Works of the Poet of the Holy Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - the Pious Erudite Imâm al-Qâd.î Yûsuf al-Nabhânî (1265/1849-1350/1932)

by GF Haddad

Bismillâh al-Rahmân al-Rahîm

Al-Nabhânî wrote of himself in his first published book, al-Sharaf al-Mu'abbad li-Ali Muh.ammad - Allâh bless and greet him - (1309/1891), in Asbâb al-Ta'lîf lil-`Abdi al-D.a`îf, and in Jâmi` Karâmât al-Awliyâ' (both 1329/1911):

"I am the faqîr Yûsuf ibn Ismâ`îl ibn Yûsuf ibn Ismâ`îl ibn Muh.ammad Nâs.ir al-Dîn al-Nabhânî. We go back to the Banû Nabhân, an Arab desert folk who settled of old in the town of Ijzim1 North of the Holy sites in the land of Palestine, presently part of the district (qad.â') of H.aifa in `Akka, province of Beirut. I was born in Ijzim in 1265/1849 approximately.

"I read the Qur'ân with my Master and father, the righteous Shaykh and meticulous memorizer of the Book of Allâh, Shaykh Ismâ`îl al-Nabhânî who is now [in 1891] past eighty, in full possession of his senses, of strong build and excellent health, and who spends most of his time in works of obedience.

"My father's daily devotion in every twenty-four hours was one third of the Qur'ân, then he would complete the Qur'ân three times every week. The praise for this belongs to Allâh! {Say: In the bounty of Allâh and in His mercy: therein let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard} (10:58).

"Then he sent me - Allâh save him and thank him on my behalf! - to Cairo for study. I entered the Mosque of al-Azhar the day of al-Sabt in early Muh.arram of the year 1283 [16 May 1866] and resided there until Rajab 1289 [October 1872]. During that time, I learnt all that Allâh destined for me to learn of the sciences of the Sharî`a and its preparatory disciplines at the hands of the accomplished teachers and major established masters of the time, any one of whom, if he were found in a place, would be the leader of its people to the gardens of Paradise and would meet their requirements in all of the sciences - the spoken and the rational.

"One of them, or rather their peerless leader was the accomplished, erudite teacher, the refuge of meticulous understanding, the Shaykh of all Shaykhs, Teacher of all Teachers, Sayyidî al-Shaykh Ibrâhîm al-Saqqâ al-Shâfi`î who died in 1298 aged around ninety years. He spent his entire blessed long life reading lessons until most of the Ulema of our time became his students, either directly, or through an intermediary. I attended his classes - Allâh have mercy on him! - for three years and read with him the two commentaries - al-Tah.rîr and al-Manhaj - of Shaykh al-Islâm Zakariyyâ al-Ans.ârî together with their marginalia by al-Sharqâwî and al-Bujayrimî respectively.

"Also among my teachers is the venerable erudite Scholar, Sayyidî al-Shaykh al-Sayyid Muh.ammad al-Damanhûrî al-Shâfi`î who died in 1286 aged around ninety years.

Also the erudite Scholar Sayyidî al-Shaykh Ibrâhîm al-Zurrû al-Khalîlî al-Shâfi`î who died in 1287 aged around seventy. Also the erudite Scholar Sayyidî al-Shaykh Ah.mad al-Ajhûrî al-D.arîr al-Shâfi`î who died in 1293 aged around sixty. Also the erudite Scholar Sayyidî al-Shaykh H.asan al-`Adawî al-Mâlikî who died in 1298 aged around eighty. Also the erudite Scholar Sayyidî al-Shaykh al-Sayyid `Abd al-Hâdî Najâ al-Abyârî who died in 1305 aged just over seventy years. Also Shaykh Shams al-Dîn Muh.ammad al-Anbâbî al-Shâfi`î the Master of al-Azhar Mosque, who died in 1313. Also Shaykh `Abd al-Rah.mân al-Sharbînî al-Shâfi`î the Master of al-Azhar Mosque, who died in 1326. Also Shaykh `Abd al-Qâdir al-Râfi`î al-H.anafî al-T.arabulsî the Master of the Damascenes' Porch (Ruwâq al-Shawâmm) in al-Azhar Mosque, who died in 1323. Also Shaykh Yûsuf al-Barqâwî al-H.anbalî the Master of the H.anbalîs' Porch in al-Azhar Mosque.2 [And many others, some of whom are named in Hâdî al-Murîd and Jâmi` Karâmât al-Awliyâ'.]

"[After I graduated and returned home to Ijzim] I began to hold a number of religious courses in `Akka and my home town of Ijzim. Then I travelled frequently to Beirut, then Damascus where I met the eminent Ulema. Chief among them was the Jurist of Damascus at the time, our Master the erudite Imâm, al-Sayyid al-Sharîf Mah.mûd Effendî H.amza - Allâh have mercy on him! - with whom I read the beginning of al-Bukhârî's S.ah.îh., after which he gave me a general certificate comprising the rest of the S.ah.îh. as well as all his other narrations and his own works. He wrote this long certificate in his superb style and handsome handwriting.

"Then I headed for Constantinople twice and worked there for several years. I edited the periodical al-Jawâ'ib until it folded. I also proofread the Arabic books that came out of its press. My monthly salary there was ten Lîras for editing and proofreading. I worked on this for about two or three hours [daily] and did it on the insistant request of the paper's owner, Ah.mad Effendî Fâris. He considered me his greatest blessing and showed great sadness at seeing me leave for my new position with the government [as a judge]. He offered me to work as his partner or a raise, but I refused.

"I left Constantinople, the first time, for Iraq. I went to the district of Kawî S.anjaq in the province of Mosul. Then I returned to Constantinople. I left it a second time in 1300 when I was appointed head judge of al-Jaza' court in al-Lâdhiqiyya on the Syro-Palestinian sea-shore. After living there for five years the Dawla - Allâh grant her victory! - transferred me to the head judgeship of the court of al-Qudus al-Sharîf. This took place through those at whose hands Allâh decreed goodness for me, without request nor prior knowledge on my part. Then, after less than a year - eight months to be precise - they promoted me, without request nor prior knowledge on my part, to the chief judgeship of the Beirut Court of Justice. This was in 1305/1888." 3

After al-Nabhânî retired he turned entirely to writing and worshipping. He travelled to al-Madîna al-Munawwara and lived in the Noble Neighborhood for a while. Then he returned to Beirut where he passed on to the mercy of His Lord in the beginning of the month of Ramad.ân 1350/1932.

Ah.san al-Wasâ'il fî Naz.mi Asmâ'i al-Nabiyyi al-Kâmil ("The Best Means in Versifying the Names of the Perfect Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him"), in three hundred verses, in print. The Qâd.î wrote a brief history of the compilations of the Prophetic Names in his introduction to his commentary on al-Jazûlî's Dalâ'il al-Khayrât titled al-Dalâlât al-Wâd.ih.ât in which he mentioned various recensions to date:

Al-Asmâ fîmâ li-Rasûlillâhi - Allâh bless and greet him - min al-Asmâ ("The Apex in Knowledge of the Names of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him") in which the Qâd.î listed about 830 to 860 names of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - in a 300-verse poem.

Dalîl al-Tujjâr ilâ Akhlâq al-Akhyâr ("The Guide of Traders in the High Manners of the Elect"), in print.

Al-Dalâlât al-Wâd.ih.ât Sharh. Dalâ'il al-Khayrât, a commentary on Imâm al-Jazûlî's manual of invocations of blessings on the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him, the foremost manual of its kind. Shaykh Bassâm `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Jâbî of Damascus produced a good new edition of this work in 2001 printed with the fully vowelized Dalâ'il.4

Al-Nabhânî's introduction to the Dilâlât is rich in historical and legal details on the etiquette of invoking blessings on the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him -. In the introduction to this work the Qâd.î recapitulates his detailed examination - which he first presented in the introduction to Sa`âdat al-Dârayn - of the preferability of adding the title Sayyidinâ ("our Master") to the name of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - in tashahhud. This is the position preferred by the late Shâfi`î authorities in particular such as Ibn `Abd al-Salâm, al-Isnawî, al-Mah.allî, al-Suyût.î, al-Fayrûzâbâdî, al-Ramlî, al-Sakhâwî, al-Haytamî, al-Nabhânî himself, and others.

The proofs for giving precedence to respect (adab) over obedience (t.â`a) in the matter are [1] the refusal of Abû Bakr to pray as imâm in front of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - although the latter ordered him. After the prayer, the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - asked him: "Abû Bakr, what prevented you from standing firm when I ordered you to?" Abû Bakr excused himself with his famous statement: "Mâ kâna li-Ibni Abî Quh.âfata an yataqaddama bayna yaday Rasûlillâh - It was not fitting for the son of Abû Quh.âfa to stand ahead of the Messenger of Allâh." The Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - approved of him.5 [2] The statement of Ibn Mas`ûd: "When you invoke blessings on your Prophet, invoke blessings in the best possible way (idhâ s.allaytum fa-ah.sinû al-s.alâta `alâ nabiyyikum) for - you do not know - this might be shown to him. Therefore, say: 'O Allâh! Grant your s.alât, mercy, and blessings upon the Master of Messengers (sayyid al-Mursalîn), the Imâm of the Godfearing, and the Seal of Prophets, Muh.ammad your servant and Messenger, the Imâm of goodness and leader of goodness and Messenger of Mercy! O Allâh! Raise him to a glorious station for which the first and the last of creatures will yearn! O Allâh! Grant mercy to Muh.ammad and to the House of Muh.ammad as You granted mercy to Ibrâhîm and to the House of Ibrâhîm! Truly, You are the Lord of glory and praise! O Allâh! Bless Muh.ammad and the House of Muh.ammad as You blessed Ibrâhîm and the House of Ibrâhîm! Truly, You are the Lord of glory and praise!'"6

The proofs for calling the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - sayyid are in the verses {lordly (sayyidan), chaste, a Prophet of the righteous} (3:39) and {and they met her lord and master (sayyidahâ) at the door} (12:42) as well as the following Prophetic narrations: [1] "I am the Master (sayyid) of human beings";7 [2] "This son of mine [al-H.asan] is a leader of men (sayyid)";8 [3] "Get up to meet your chief (qûmû ilâ sayyidikum) [Sa`d ibn `Ubâda]";9 this h.adîth is also narrated as Qûmu li-sayyidikum which means the same thing.10 (It is noteworthy that the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - specifically invoked the blessings and mercy of Allâh upon the family of Sa`d ibn `Ubâda as well as Jâbir ibn `Abd Allâh and the family of Ibn Abî Awfâ.) [4] "Whenever Fât.ima entered a room where the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - was sitting he would get up and greet her, take her hand, kiss her, and make her sit in his place; and whenever he entered a room where she was sitting she would get up and greet him, take his hand, kiss him, and make him sit in her place."11 [5] Sahl ibn H.unayf said "My liege-lord!" (yâ sayyidî) when he asked the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - a certain question.12 [6] Mâlik and Sufyân gave the fatwa that one should not say Yâ Sayyidî in du`â' but Yâ Rabbî.13

Hâdî al-Murîd ilâ T.uruq al-Asânîd ("Guide for the Seeker to the Paths of Transmission") <1317>, appended to S.alawât al-Thanâ' and detailing al-Nabhânî's Thabt or compendium of transmission chains in h.adîth and other Islamic sources.

H.izb al-Awliyâ' al-Arba`în al-Mustaghîthîna bi-Sayyid al-Mursalîn - Allâh bless and greet him - ("The Devotion of the Forty Friends of Allâh That Seek Help Through the Master of Messengers - Allâh bless and greet him"), also known as H.izb al-Istighâthât bi-Sayyid al-Sâdât - Allâh bless and greet him, in print.

H.usn al-Shir`ati fî Mashrû`iyyati S.alât al-Z.uhri Idhâ Ta`addadat al-Jumu`a ("The Beauty of the Law in Permitting the Z.uhr Prayer When More Than One Jumu`a is Held [in one and the same region]"), in print.

Irshâd al-H.âyârâ fî Tah.dhîr al-Muslimîn min Madâris al-Nas.ârâ ("Guidance of the Perplexed: Warning the Muslims Against the Christians Schools"), an advice royally ignored by most Muslims nowadays, especially the educated and the wealthy. Al-Nabhânî also wrote an abridgment titled Mukhtas.ar Irshâd al-H.âyârâ.

Al-Istighâthat al-Kubrâ bi-Asmâ' Allâh al-H.usnâ ("The Great Invocation of Help Through the Beautiful Names of Allâh"), printed together with Riyâd. Ahl al-Janna.

Ith.âf al-Muslim bi-Ah.âdîth al-Targhîb wal-Tarhîb min al-Bukhârî wa-Muslim ("A Gift for Every Muslim in the Narrations of Encouragement to Goodness and Deterrence from Evil from al-Bukhârî and Muslim") <1329>.

Jâmi` Karâmât al-Awliyâ' ("Compendium of the Miraculous Gifts of the Friends of Allâh") <1329> in two volumes (reprint Beirut: al-Maktaba al-Thaqâfiyya, 1991), an encyclopedia of the miracles of the Muslim Saints in the introduction to which he includes a bibliography for his works which served for the present bibliography. In this introduction he also said (1:9-11): "I will mention the titles of some of the books from which I quoted material":

Mithâl al-Na`l al-Sharîf ("The Image of the Noble Sandals [of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him]"), in print. The major Indian H.anafî Scholar Mawlânâ Ashraf `Alî al-Tahânawî titled a chapter Nayl al-Shifâ' bi-Na`l al-Mus.t.afâ ("Obtaining Remedy through the Sandals of the Elect One - Allâh bless and greet him") in his book Zâd al-Sa`îd ("Provision for the Fortunate"). The Shaykh of our Shuyûkh and Muh.addith of India, Shaykh Muh.ammad Zakariyyâ Kandihlawî said in his English translation of Imâm al-Tirmidhî's foundational work al-Shamâ'il al-Nabawiyya wal-Khas.â'il al-Mus.t.afawiyya ("The Prophetic Traits and Muh.ammadan Features"):

"Mawlânâ Ashraf `Alî Thanwî S.âh.ib has written in his book Zâdus-Sa`îd a detailed treatise on the barakât [blessings] and virtues of the shoes of Rasûlullâh S.allAllâhu `alayhi wasallam. Those interested in this should read that book [which is available in English]. In short, it may be said that it [the Prophet's - Allâh bless and greet him - sandal] has countless qualities. The Ulema have experienced it many a time. One is blessed [through it] by seeing RasûlAllâh S.allAllâhu `alayhi wasallam in one's dreams; one gains safety from oppressors and every heartfelt desire is attained. Every object is fulfilled by its tawassul. The method of tawassul [using a means] is also mentioned therein."

Al-Mubashshirât al-Manâmiyya, see al-Bashâ'ir al-Imâniyya.

Mufarrij al-Kurûb wa-Mufarrih. al-Qulûb ("The Remover of Difficulties and Cheer of Hearts"), in print, a collection of Prophetic supplications for the removal of difficulties.

Mukhtas.ar Irshâd al-H.âyârâ, see Irshâd al-H.âyârâ.

Muntakhab al-S.ah.îh.ayn ("Anthology from the Two S.ah.îh.s [of al-Bukhârî and Muslim]"), in print, containing about 3,000 h.adîths.

Nujûm al-Muhtadîn wa-Rujûm al-Mu`tadîn fi Ithbâti Nubuwwati Sayyidinâ Muh.ammadin Sayyid al-Mursalîn wal-Raddu `alâ A`dâ'ihi Ikhwâni al-Shayât.în ("The Stars of the Well-Guided and the Missiles against the Attackers in Affirmation of the Prophethood of our Master Muh.ammad - Allâh bless and greet him - the Master of Messengers, and the Refutation of His Enemies the Brothers of Devils"), a massive volume in print.

Al-Qas.îdat al-Râ'iyya al-Kubrâ fî Was.fi al-Ummat al-Islâmiyyati wal-Milal al-Ukhrâ ("The Major Râ'-Rhyming Poem on the Description of the Islamic Community and the Other Groups"), in print.

Al-Qas.îdat al-Râ'iyya al-S.ughrâ fî Dhamm al-Bid`ati wa-Ahlihâ wa-Madh.i al-Sunnati al-Gharrâ' ("The Minor Râ'-Rhyming Poem on the Blame of Innovation and the Praise of the Radiant Sunna"), in print. This work focused on "the three arch-innovators of the times": Jamâl al-Dîn al-Afghânî, Muh.ammad `Abduh al-Mis.rî, and Rashîd Rid.â the owner of the periodical al-Manâr.

Al-Qawl al-H.aqq fî Madh.i Sayyid al-Khalq ("The Word of Truth on the Praise of the Master of Creation"), in print.

Sa`âdatu al-Anâm bi-Ittibâ`i Dîni al-Islâm ("The Bliss of Creatures in Following the Religion of Islâm"), in print.

Sa`âdatu al-Dârayni fîl-S.alâti `alâ Sayyidi al-Kawnayn ("The Bliss of the Two Abodes in the Invocation of Blessings on the Master of the Two Universes") <1318> in 720 pages, comprising a sequence of ten-verse poems with an acrostic rhyme scheme according to the Arabic alphabet, beginning with the hamza in the following poem:

1. Anâ `abdun li-sayyidi al-anbiyâ'i wa walâ'î lahu al-qadîmu walâ'î I am the slave of the Master of Prophets And my fealty to him has no beginning.

2. Anâ `abdun li-`abdihi wali-`abdi al-`abdi `abdun kadhâ bi-ghayri intihâ'i I am slave to his slave, and to his slave's slave, And so forth endlessly!

3. Anâ lâ antahî `anil-qurbi min bâbi rid.âhu fî jumlati al-dukhalâ'i I do not cease to approach the door Of his good pleasure among the novices.

4. Anshuru al-`ilma fî ma`âlîhi lil-nâsi wa-ashdû bihi ma`al-shu`arâ'i I proclaim to all the science of his high attributes, And sing this science among the poets.

Shawâhid al-H.aqq fil-Istighâtha bi Sayyid al-Khalq - Allâh bless and greet him - ("The Witnesses to Truth on the Obtainment of Aid through the Master of Creatures") <1323>, a summation of several hundred pages comprising several epistles in refutation of various heresies. Among them:

[1] On the affirmation of direction (al-jiha): al-Nabhânî's magnificent epistle Raf` al-Ishtibâh fî Istih.âlat al-Jiha `alâ Allâh ("The Removal of Uncertainty Concerning the Impossibility of Direction for Allâh Most High") (p. 210-240), a refutation of Shaykh Ah.mad ibn Taymiyya's notorious Fatwâ H.amawiyya which had adduced the "verses of unapparent meaning" (mutashâbihât) to affirm direction and place for the Divinity. Other refutations include Imâm Ibn Jahbal al-Kilâbî's (d. 733) lengthy reply which Imâm Tâj al-Dîn Ibn al-Subkî reproduced in full in his T.abaqât al-Shâfi`iyya al-Kubrâ;14 Shaykh Muh.ammad Sa`îd ibn `Abd al-Qâdir al-Baghdâdî al-Naqshbandî's (d. 1339) al-Wajh fî Ibt.âl al-Jiha in thirty-six folios as of yet unpublished;15 and Imâm Muh.ammad Zâhid al-Kawtharî's Khut.ûrat al-Qawli bil-Jiha ("The Gravity of the Doctrine that Attributes Direction to Allâh Most High") in which he reports Imâm al-Bayâd.î's explanation of Imâm Abû H.anîfa's statement: "Whoever says, 'I do not know whether my Lord is in the heaven or on earth' is a disbeliever and, similarly, whoever says, 'He is on the Throne and I do not know whether the Throne is in the heaven or on earth' is a disbeliever."16 Al-Bayâd.î said in Ishârât al-Marâm: "This is because he implies that the Creator has a direction and a boundary,

while anything possessing direction and boundary is necessarily created. So this statement explicitly attributes imperfection to Allâh Most High. The believer in [Divine] corporeality and direction is someone who denies the existence of anything other than objects that can be pointed to with the senses. They deny the Essence of the Deity that is transcendent beyond that. This makes them positively guilty of disbelief."17

Imâm `Abd al-Qâhir al-Baghdâdî in his Us.ûl al-Dîn cites, among those who consider the verse of istiwâ' among the mutashâbihât or Qur'ânic ambiguities, Imâm Mâlik ibn Anas, the seven jurists of Madîna, and al-As.mâ'î.18 Imâm al-Pazdawî said of the attribute of corporeality in his Us.ûl that it is "known in principle but ambiguous in escription (ma`lûmun bi-as.lihi mutashâbihun bi-was.fihi).19 Al-Baghdâdî's and al-Pazdawî's words show the fallacy of Ibn Taymiyya's claim in the epistle al-Iklîl fîl-Mutashâbih wal-Ta'wîl that "I do not know any of the Salaf of the Community nor any of the Imâms, neither Ah.mad ibn H.anbal nor other than him, that considered these [the Divine Names and Attributes] as part of the mutashâbih"!20 Al-Nabhânî (p. 251) points out that Ibn Taymiyya not only claimed to know the meaning of these verses, but also added categorical interpretive terms to their purported meanings, such as "literally" (h.aqîqatan) and "with His essence" (bi dhâtihi). He concludes, "If the meaning of such verses [of corporeality in relation to the Divine Attributes] were known, it could not be other than in the sense in which the attributes of created entites are known, as in istiwâ' in the sense of sitting (al-julûs) which we know in relation to ourselves, and this applies to the rest of the ambiguous terms."

[2] On the proofs of the hearing of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - in his noble grave (p. 283-285) contrary to the contrary assertions by modernist "Salafis" such as Nu`mân al-Alûsî's al-Ayât al-Bayyinât fî `Adam Samâ` al-Amwât ("The Clear Signs that the Dead Cannot Hear") - whose editor went so far as to state: "I have found no evidence for the Prophet's - Allâh bless and greet him - hearing of the salaam of those who greet him at his grave!" 21

[3] On the proofs of tawassul or seeking the intermediary of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him: al-Nabhânî refutes in great detail those who deny the permissibility of tawassul adducing, among other texts, the proofs listed by the Mufti of Makka, Shaykh al-Islâm al-Sayyid Ah.mad Zaynî Dah.lân in his Khulâs.at al-Kalâm fî Bayân Umarâ' al-Balad al-H.arâm ("The Summation Concerning the Leaders of the Holy Land" in full (p. 151-177). Dah.lân also authored al-Durar al-Sunniyya fîl-Radd alâ al-Wahhâbiyya ("The Sunni Pearls in Refuting the Wahhâbîs" Cairo 1319 and 1347), Fitnat al-Wahhâbiyya ("The Wahhâbî Tribulation"), all of these works detailing the development of the Wahhâbî movement in Najd and the H.ijâz. A number of the latter-day Scholars of Ahl al-Sunna in the H.ijâz and its surroundings wrote book-length refutations along the same lines, notably Muh.ammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhâb's brother Sulaymân; the Yemeni scholar al-Sayyid `Alawî ibn al-H.abîb Ah.mad al-H.addâd Bâ `Alawî; the H.ijâzî scholar Sayyid `Abd Allâh ibn H.asan Bâshâ Bâ `Alawî; Shaykh Ibrâhîm al-Samnûdî al-Mans.ûrî (d. 1314); and the late erudite scholar Shaykh Salâmat al-`Azzâmî (d. 1376).22

[4] On the claimed impermissibility of travelling to visit the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him: al-Nabhânî's counter-refutation (p. 241-247, 275-298) of Muh.ammad ibn `Abd al-Hâdî's al-S.ârim al-Munkî fî Nah.r al-Subkî ("The Hurtful Blade in the Throat of al-Subkî"!), a violent attack on Shaykh al-Islâm al-Taqî al-Subkî's masterpiece on the visitation of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - [Shifâ' al-Siqâm fî Ziyârati Khayr al-Anâm - Allâh bless and greet him - ("The Healing of Hearts in Visiting the Best of Creatures")] in which Ibn `Abd al-Hâdî "adopted the manner of fanatics and departed from the norms of the h.adîth Scholars" according to Shaykh `Abd al-`Azîz ibn al-S.iddîq al-Ghumârî,23 in defense of his teacher Ibn Taymiyya's aberrant fatwa that it was a sin to undertake travel to the intention of visiting the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him -. Ibn `Abd al-Hâdî filled his book with unfounded accusations "in order to defend the innovations of his teacher.... It should have been titled al-Shâtim al-Ifkî ('The Mendacious Abuser')."24 He falsely accuses Imâm al-Subkî of encouraging pilgrimage to the Prophet's - Allâh bless and greet him - grave, prostration to it, circumambulating around it, and the belief that the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him - removes difficulty, grants ease, and causes whoever he wishes to enter into Paradise, all independently of Allâh Most High! Nu`mân al-Alûsî also wrote an attack on both Imâms al-Haytamî and al-Subkî titled Jalâ' al-`Aynayn fî Muh.âkamat al-Ah.madayn which he dedicated to the Indian Wahhâbî S.ûfî, S.iddîq H.asan Khân al-Qinnawjî and in which, according to al-Nabhânî, he went even further than Ibn `Abd al-Hâdî. Also among the counter-refutations of these two works:

Al-Nabhânî said of Ibn Taymiyya in Shawâhid al-H.aqq: "He refuted the Christians, the Shî`îs, the logicians, then the Ash`arîs and Ahl al-Sunna, in short, sparing no one whether Muslim or non-Muslim, Sunni or otherwise," all the while "clamoring a lot about following the Salaf" (p. 207). He also praised Ibn Taymiyya's "worthy book" (p. 275-276) al-S.ârim al-Maslûl `alâ Shâtim al-Rasûl ("The Drawn Sword Against the Insulter of the Prophet - Allâh bless and greet him") and said that he saw in his dream that Ibn Taymiyya had been forgiven but that he was in a lower level of Paradise than Taqî al-Dîn al-Subkî. The Qâd.î never declared Ibn Taymiyya a disbeliever nor do any of the reliable Ulema of Ahl al-Sunna. May Allâh forgive him and them, take us back to Him as Muslims, and join us with His righteous servants! Amîn.

Al-Wird al-Shâfî ("The Healing Spring"), in print, an abridgment of Imâm al-Jazarî's al-H.is.n al-H.as.în ("The Superfortress"), a manual of supplications and invocations from the Sunna.

May Allâh shower His greatest mercy on the Qâd.î Yûsuf al-Nabhânî, bless him with the Highest Company in Paradise, and thank him and reward him abundantly on behalf of the Umma! Truly, the benefit of his spiritual company, meticulous teaching, love for the Seal of Prophets - Allâh bless and greet him, and spirit of humility and truth is palpable to anyone that looks into his works. The Community of Islâm have placed these peerless pearls next to the legacies of the love-consumed, learned authorities of the past such as Imâm `Abd al-Ghanî al-Nâbulusî and Imâm `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Sha`rânî rah.imahum Allâh.

The writer of these lines was privileged to visit the light-bathed grave of Qâd.î Yûsuf al-Nabhânî - Allâh have mercy on him! - in the Bâshûrâ neighborhood of the Bast.a district of Beirut on the day of Jumu`a 24 Dhûl-H.ijja 1423 / 8 March 2002, the tombstone of which reads "H.assân Ah.mad - Allâh bless and greet him, Yûsuf Ismâ`îl al-Nabhânî." The next day, I was honored to meet one of the Qâd.î's direct students, the venerable Shaykh H.usayn `Usayrân al-Shâfi`î al-Naqhsbandî (b. 1329/1911) - Allâh save him! - who kindly granted me his chains of transmission to the Qâd.î among other prestigious chains in his possession. {This is of the bounty of my Lord}, (27:40) {He selects for His mercy whom He will. Allâh is of infinite bounty} (3:74). {And peace be unto the Messengers}, especially the Master of Messengers, {and praise be to Allâh, Lord of the Worlds!} (37:181-182).

6 Narrated from Ibn Mas`ûd by Ibn Mâjah, Abû Ya`lâ (9:175 #5267), al-T.abarânî in al-Kabîr (9:115 #8594), Abû Nu`aym in the H.ilya (1985 ed. 4:271), and al-Bayhaqî in the Shu`ab (2:208 #1550), all through `Abd al-Rah.mân ibn `Abd Allâh ibn `Utba al-Mas`ûdî who is weak although al-Mundhirî declared the chain fair in al-Targhîb (1997 ed. 2:329 #2588) cf. Fath. (11:158). Further, al-Bûs.îrî in Mis.bâh. al-Zujâja (1:111) said it is corroborated by an identical narration from Ibn `Umar by Ah.mad ibn Manî` in his Musnad. Al-Mas`ûdî is further corroborated by Abû Salama al-Mughîra ibn al-Nu`mân in `Abd al-Razzâq (2:213-214 #3109-3112) while al-Dâraqut.nî in his `Ilal (5:15 #682) cites yet two other chains to Ibn Mas`ûd, raising the narration to a grade of h.asan at the very least, or rather s.ah.îh. in shâ' Allâh.

14 Ibn Jahbal wrote: "How can you say that Allâh is literally (h.aqîqatan) in (fî) the heaven, and literally above (fawq) the heaven, and literally in (fî) the Throne, and literally on (`alâ) the Throne?!" Ibn Jahbal, Refutation of Ibn Taymiyya §93 in Ibn al-Subkî, T.abaqât al-Shâfi`iyya al-Kubrâ (9:61).

16 In al-Fiqh al-Absat. ("The Greatest Wisdom"), the same work as the Fiqh al-Akbar but in catechetic form narrated from the Imâm exclusively by Abû Mut.î` al-H.akam ibn `Abd Allâh ibn Muslim al-Balkhî al-Khurâsânî through Abû `Abd Allâh al-H.usayn ibn `Alî al-Alma`î al-Kâshgharî (d. >484), both of them discarded as narrators.